Head Coach Steve Lavin - In his seventh season as Bruin head coach with a school and career mark of 137-64 (201 games, 68.2) and 12th year on the UCLA staff (359 games, 263-96, 73.3). The Kansas contest was Lavin's 200th game as the Bruin head coach.

The 2001 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, Lavin and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski are the only current coaches who have guided their teams to five NCAA "Sweet 16s" in the last six seasons.

Lavin entered 2002-03 as the 15th winningest active coach (minimum five years as a Div. I head coach/based on percentage-69.6, 135-59 entering this season).

In his Bruin head coaching career, Lavin is 8-4 vs. Washington, including a 2-4 mark in Seattle, and 12-0 vs. Washington State.

Last season, the Bruins swept the Washington schools for the first since 1997, Lavin's first season as head coach.

In Pac-10 openers, Lavin is 4-2, including a 1-2 mark on the road. Last season, the Bruins opened the 2002 Pac-10 season with an 85-79 win at Washington.

UCLA's Last Game -

Michigan 81, at UCLA 76 - Before 10,001 at Pauley Pavilion on Dec. 28, Michigan led 43-36 at halftime, and the Bruins closed two within four points (twice) late in the second half, but the Wolverines held on for an 81-76 nonconference victory over UCLA.

In the first half, Michigan had leads of nine points on three occasions and in the second half, the biggest Michigan lead was 16 points (63-47), with 12:55 left in the game.

With 13 seconds left, T. J. Cummings' three-pointer pulled UCLA to within four (79-75) and with eight seconds left, Ryan Walcott's one of two free throws again pulled the Bruins to within four points (80-76). Michigan hit one of two free throws to end the game and secure the win.

The Bruins had three players in double figures, led by Cummings' season-high 19 points.

UCLA shot 41.7 (25-60) from the field, 42.1 (8-19) from three-point range and 72.0 (18-25) from the foul line, with 31 rebounds and a season-low nine turnovers.

Michigan shot 46.6 (27-58) from the field, an opponent season-high tying 50.0 (11-22) from three-point range and 72.7 (16-22) from the foul line, with a game-high 36 rebounds and an opponent season-low 10 turnovers. The Wolverines were led by Daniel Horton's 24 points, including 7-10 from three-point range. Horton's seven three-pointers and the Wolverines' 11 were the second-best three-point performances in Pauley history (earlier this season, Northern Arizona also hit 11 three-pointers in Pauley).

UCLA-Washington Series - UCLA leads it 82-29. The Bruins won both series games last year for the first time since 1997.

Head Coach Lorenzo Romar - A Bruin assistant coach during UCLA's 1995 NCAA Championship season (along with current Bruin head coach Steve Lavin), Romar returned to his alma mater in the offseason and is in his first year coaching the Huskies. Before taking the Washington job, he was a head coach at St. Louis (2000-02/51-44) and Pepperdine (1997-99/42-44). Romar was an assistant coach for the Bruins from 1993-96.

The Huskies - Enter Pac-10 play on a three-game winning streak (all home games), last beating CS Northridge 89-80 on Dec. 28.

BRUIN HEADLINES

NATIONAL RANKINGS

The Bruins in the preseason were No. 14 (AP) and No. 12 (USA Today/ESPN). In week one, UCLA was 15th in AP; and in week two, the Bruins were No. 14 (AP/USA Today/ESPN; that was UCLA's last ranking).

The Bruins' schedule features eight teams that were in last season's NCAA Tournament ("Sweet 16" Duke, Final Four Kansas, USC, St. John's, "Sweet 16" Arizona, Stanford, California and "Elite Eight" Oregon), and one NIT participant (Arizona State).

In 2001-02, UCLA's schedule was rated by Basketball Times as the No. 3 strongest schedule in the U. S. (trailing only No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 North Carolina) and the Pac-10 Conference was ranked No. 1 in the nation (based on strength of schedule among member schools).

ANDRE PATTERSON RETURNS TO THE BRUINS

UCLA sophomore Andre Patterson on Friday, Dec. 13 was ruled academically eligible and was readmitted to UCLA. Saturday, Dec. 14 was his first day of UCLA eligibility and Patterson played in the game vs. Portland (seven minutes, three points, one rebound, two blocked shots, two steals).
Patterson, a 6-7 forward who appeared in 29 games for the Bruins as a true freshman in 2001-02, was declared academically ineligible by UCLA last September (before the start of UCLA's fall quarter). He spent the fall semester at Santa Monica City College and has met the academic conditions for readmission to UCLA. Patterson will begin winter quarter classes at UCLA on Monday, Jan. 6.
As a true freshman last season, Patterson averaged 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds and shot 50.0 (28-56) from the field, with 18 blocked shots. As a senior in 2000-01, he attended high school at Washington Prep in Los Angeles.

MATT McKINNEY TO REDSHIRT

6-8 freshman Matt McKinney will redshirt this season in men's basketball and have four years of eligibility remaining starting with the 2003-04 campaign. McKinney, one of the nation's top prep volleyball players during his career at Santa Ynez HS, will join Al Scates' Bruin men's volleyball team at the conclusion of the 2002-03 basketball season.
Also redshirting will be 6-1 freshman walkon guard Ike Williams, from Murrieta, CA Valley HS. As a guard last season at MVHS, Williams was named to the Top 50 So Cal Hoops Class of 2002.

BRIAN MORRISON SITS OUT THIS SEASON

6-2 junior guard Brian Morrison will sit out this season after transferring to UCLA from North Carolina. As a sophomore last season for the Tar Heels, Morrison appeared in all 28 games and averaged 7.1 points, led NC with 42 three-pointers and was third on the team in assists (72). He prepped at Lake Washington HS in Redmond, WA.

MARCEDES LEWIS TO JOIN BRUINS AFTER FOOTBALL

At the conclusion of the current Bruin football season, 6-6 Marcedes Lewis is scheduled to join the UCLA men's basketball team. From Long Beach Poly, Lewis last season as a senior in high school was considered the nation's No. 1 tight end prospect. (and has seen playing time on this year's squad as a freshman tight end). In basketball last season, he averaged 13.0 points and 8.0 rebounds and was a Hoop Scoop National Top 100 performer.

UCLA SIGNS TREVOR ARIZA, SEAN PHALER TO NLI

Trevor Ariza, 6-8 from Westchester HS (Los Angeles) and Sean Phaler, 6-9 from Villa Park, CA HS, signed NLI with UCLA during the early signing period.

Entering his senior campaign, Ariza is one of the most
honored players in southern California. His preseason
national accolades include - Street & Smith's All-America
Top 20 (fourth-team All-America) and first-team All-Metro
(Los Angeles), The Sporting News No. 4 power forward in
the U. S. and No. 14 senior in the U. S., Athlon's No. 12
power forward in the U. S. and Lindy's No. 33 senior in the
U. S. PacWestHoops rates Ariza as the No. 2 player at his
position on the West Coast.

As a junior starter last season, Ariza averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Comets. In 2002, as a consistent double figure scorer and rebounder, Ariza helped lead Westchester to a 32-2 overall record, the CA State Div. I championship, a City Section title and Westchester was ranked fourth in the U. S. in the Student Sports FAB 50 poll.

As a junior last season at Villa Park, Phaler, a long-range shooting threat, averaged 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds. He shot 42% from three-point range, connecting on 107.

UCLA GREAT KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR NAMED TO PAC-10 HALL OF HONOR

In its second year, the Pac-10 Hall of Honor's 2003 class will include UCLA's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
As Lew Alcindor during his Bruin playing days (1967-69), he led UCLA to three consecutive NCAA titles, three straight Conference championships and an overall record of 88-2 (including a perfect 30-0 in 1966-67). He received the Most Outstanding Player award at the NCAA Four three years in a row, the only player to earn that honor three consecutive times. At the end of his Bruin career, Abdul-Jabbar was the school's all-time leading scorer (2,325, now No. 2) and the leading rebounder (1,367, now No. 2).

As the greatest offensive player in basketball history, he was the first player taken in the 1969 NBA Draft, and played 20 years in the league with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. Abdul-Jabbar was selected the league's Most Valuable Player on six occasions, won six NBA titles (five with the Lakers) and holds the league's scoring record with 38, 387 points.